Definitely not just phoning it in 2020

[Mountain Goat]

Resourceful.

[Mountain Goat]

My mouth is now looking relatively normal, and of course the heavens have just opened.

[Mountain Goat]

I did about 40 minutes in the park of short sprints* and hill repeats. It was nice, it was quiet as it had only just stopped raining and I saw ALL the birds you could possibly hope to see in a pondless park in London, including pied wagtails. I am a bit sneezy and coughy still so I wanted to just play it by ear, and also I wanted to listen to music, not Erin, so I just set a timer to go off each minute and did various length intervals based on how much I was dying at any given point.

* HAHAHAHAHA. They were faster than I'd run if I were planning on running more than a minute or two or three. I'm not sure they could be called sprints in any other context, like comparing my speed with that of actual humans.

[Texaco Shirley]

Well done. I think I need to start a proper training plan that involves things like sprints rather than just throwing myself at 5km 3 times a week.

I managed to extricate myself from a meeting this afternoon and squeeze in killer abs between finishing work and school run. It felt harder but more in terms of cardio than actual
ab pain.

[Texaco Shirley]

Mammoth.

[Disco]

That’s the most impressive thing on this thread

[Mountain Goat]

That is absolutely brilliant. Who knew you could do so much with a potato and some hoover debris?

[Mountain Goat]

Ripped L4, D3: THIS WAS EXCELLENT. I don't mean I was excellent though. But I really enjoyed it, especially in retrospect (not so much during the burpees/scissor jumps cardio session). I did almost everything properly: I did the last two chataranga push ups on my knees and most of the one that comes after that (I can't remember its name), and I was a bit unenthusiastic with the last set of plank moguls, but I think that's all (I'm probably conveniently forgetting something). Oh and I found a way to position myself so I could do the leg swinging without the furniture getting in the way.

But bloody hell Jillian, why did you think yelling "I don't care if you're crying, OPEN YOUR LEGS" was a good idea?!

[Mountain Goat]

I just half watched Hard Body out of curiosity and I definitely think I'll like it, it has that same huge variety that 1WS has to stave away doom. I am disorientated by the structure but that might be a good thing. And some of the moves look so confusing/complicated. The DJ though. WHY?!

[Disco]

That's brilliant, well done. It's so nice to feel like you really are becoming stronger and improving.

But bloody hell Jillian, why did you think yelling "I don't care if you're crying, OPEN YOUR LEGS" was a good idea?!

Yes, I really do think HB is very you. I absolutely love it. It goes so quickly and without dread for any part, or the duration. It's six circuits to complete and once you've done them you repeat them all. This is usually my least favoured way but since my newfound love of 6W6P and now HB, it no longer breeds doom. The DJ is utterly ridiculous. And it's simply one long monotonous base he plays.

[Texaco Shirley]

I feel I need to do HB just to see this DJ

[Disco]

It's so naff. The camera occasionally pans to his hands dramatically flicking the cross fader to yet more of the same pounding baseline.

[Disco]

I've done HB today btw. Loved it again.

[Texaco Shirley]

The DJ distracted me completely from Jillian’s inappropriate comment. I don’t remember hearing that at all

[Mountain Goat]

I want to do HB NOW (I won't, I'm already sore and also making dinner). I keep doing mini exercises while I'm waiting for things, I think I'm feeling better and also overexcited.

I think Jillian has had some sort of an episode in L4 Ripped, as well as the rapey yelling, she also earnestly misquotes Hemingway, and at the end makes you lie down still while she tells you how proud of you she is.

[Texaco Shirley]

L4 is the one I only ever get to do once before life gets in the way and then I move on. I have no memory of the commentary whatsoever.

[Mountain Goat]

She does a whole thing about how she thinks it's Hemingway that said that we are strongest in the places we've been broken, and that she is going to BREAK you SO HARD that you will never be broken again. I know I'm supposed to be encouraged by this but I'm actually just muttering the correct quotation to her while wildly swinging my arms around.

[Mountain Goat]

Another 30 mins-ish of sprints and hill repeats in the park, and it was so much nicer today. I'm just feeling a lot livelier, can use both my nose and mouth to breathe, it's the weekend, and it's sunny. I am slowly coming back to life. I considered doing a bit more but my wireless headphones ran out of battery (plus I have definitely pushed it this week and felt good-sore in a new place every day, so I don't want to overdo it; I'm mindful that Mr G has just got an injury days before his half marathon because of being over exuberant). I will vigorously mop and maybe do some gentle yoga to appease my urge without hurting myself.

[Texaco Shirley]

Good work. It’s definitely spring today, everything feels a bit more positive.

I think I might move on to L2 of killer abs this evening. I’m still not convinced L1 is achieving much. Parkrun tomorrow, no children running this weekend but my slightly nervous friend is coming for the first time.

[Mountain Goat]

Will you need to run with her?

That sounds sensible, you've done enough of L1 to know and no point just carrying on for the sake of it.